TAIPEI, Taiwan—While the financial crisis sweeps the world, the minister of the National Youth Commission, Executive Yuan, Wang Yu-ting, took a break to watch Shen Yun, Divine Performing Arts (DPA) 2009 World Tour presentation, in Taipei on the afternoon of Feb. 28.
This was the second time Ms. Wang, the youngest member of Cabinet, had seen the DPA New York-based company perform its repertoire of classical Chinese dance and music.
Reflecting upon her reaction to the show, she spoke about how today’s advanced civilization has gotten further away from its spiritual nature.
“As civilization advances, people may enjoy material prosperity, but humans tend to get easily lost in their pursuit of materialism. Therefore, more emphasis should be put on moral values.
She said that DPA “artistically educates ”audiences on how important it is to strike a balance between spirituality and materialism during the course of everyday life.
“Since the economy is in recession, we tend to view things from conventional viewpoints. But if you step out of those fixed viewpoints, there are still other directions to go. Through seeing today’s performance, I’ve acquired a different perspective on life,” said Ms. Wang
She said that DPA has created a path never taken by others. “The Tibetan scene, [Dance of the Snow-Capped Mountain] and the dance of ethnic Yi [Dance of the Yi], the Monkey King [The Monkey King Triumphs], and Li Bai’s poem [The Poet’s Vision] can be presented through dance. As I mentioned just now, such a form of performing arts has never been presented before.”
Story-based dance is one of the trademarks of the DPA which showcases ancient legends of heroes and modern stories of courage performed by gorgeously costumed dancers. Through masterful choreography and graceful routines, DPA presents traditional Chinese culture as it was meant to be—a study in grace, fluidity, balance, and inner strength.
Ms. Wang once visited Yunnan Province in China, and upon seeing the Yunnan dance in the DPA programs, she said the performance was “succinct and delicate in terms of costumes and artistic form.
“Before watching such a performance, we found it hard to imagine that Chinese characters could be so beautifully interpreted through dancing, music, and backdrops. As a result, I think that DPA created a different style and features, which will lead to new forms of cultural art.”
The program, Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution, deeply impressed Ms. Wang.
She emphasized, “With that scene, I saw that one’s life is very precious. A young man should stick to his belief or to what is right. This is the inspiration I acquired.”
In the act Heaven Awaits Us Despite Persecution, a young man is persecuted to death for his beliefs in Falun Gong, a tradition spiritual path that upholds the virtues of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
Ms. Wang hoped that those who haven’t seen the show would see the performance, and for those who have watched it, to come again to see DPA’s new style and features.
“DPA created a unique form of Oriental performing arts, which is worthy of praise and encouragement. I feel very happy to have watched the show and look forward to future performances. I recommend DPA to everyone. It’s really very good.”
For more information please visit DivinePerformingArts.org
